Hey, Ribbons
by childoflightning
Summary: Chat Noir's transformation fell away for the last time. Ladybug wasn't sure she wanted to see his identity, but it didn't matter. Even if she had averted her gaze, she would have heard the gasps, the whispered name rippling through the crowd: Fèlix Agreste. [Brothers AU] [Based on art by kellyykao] Rated T for Major Character Death


_The ladybug girl's face fell. "The people on the news are right. I'm too young. And I'm not good enough at this."_

 _Fèlix huffed. "Oh, come on. We don't have time to be ridiculous."_

 _"It's true! I couldn't even capture the stupid akuma yesterday." Her ribbons were drooping. "I'm not cut out to be Ladybug. You need a partner who can do her job well."_

 _Fèlix looked at her and frowned. She was sort of young. Maybe twelve or thirteen years old._

 _Adrien's age, he realized._

 _He sighed, hunching slightly to put a hand on her shoulder and point at Chloé. "Listen, Ribbons. Do you see that snotty little rich girl over there?"_

 _Ladybug gave a hiccupy laugh. "Yeah."_

 _"Do you realize she would be a pancake on the pavement right now if it weren't for you?" She blinked at him. "I understand the reluctance to accept the job. Believe me. But you know they won't be able to save themselves, and I can't do it without you."_

 _The girl still looked uncertain, so Fèlix grimaced and repeated the words his kwami had said to him only hours earlier. "Listen, you're the best person for the job whether you like it or not. So pull yourself together and do it. All right?"_

 _His tone was harsher than he'd meant, and he internally cringed, sure he was only making the situation worse. But the girl just studied his face for a moment. Then she smiled._

 _"All right, Chat Noir." She drew herself up to her full five feet. "Let's do it."_

* * *

She hadn't felt so young in years.

She was a child, scared and unsure.

She could do nothing but sit in the street and watch Chat Noir slowly slip away from her.

Sirens— _Finally_. Where had they been? She'd spent years here, squeezing his hand and praying for the sound of his voice.

 _This is my fault. This is my fault._

The ambulance arrived. A paramedic pressed two fingers to Chat Noir's neck.

 _My fault._

The paramedic looked over at Ladybug with a look of fear. Somewhere under Ladybug's sluggish thoughts, she realized he was afraid of _her_. Ladybug was supposed to be composed, invincible, never afraid or disheveled, never hunched over her lifeless partner with makeup running down her face. Everyone had worried that young Ladybug wouldn't be able to handle her job, but after two years people had begun to believe she was incapable of cracking.

The paramedic shook his head silently.

Ladybug's stomach twisted, and she thought she might retch. Her thoughts clouded. She wouldn't be able to remember later if she'd cried or screamed or thrown herself onto her partner's body.  
Citizens of Paris gathered, respectfully silent.

Chat Noir's transformation fell away for the last time. A feeble flicker of green, a blur of black zipping away. A kwami, she would have realized, if she hadn't felt so dull.

She wasn't sure she wanted to see his identity, but it didn't matter. Even if she had averted her gaze, she would have heard the gasps, the whispered name rippling through the crowd.

Fèlix Agreste.

* * *

 _Fèlix was used to attention from the media. More specifically, he was used to being widely disliked._

 _He came off as callous to most people, rude and abrasive._

 _It didn't bother him much. The people who mattered knew the rest of the story. Besides, it kept people from approaching him when they recognized him in public._

 _His mother used to chide him for it. "Fèlix, that's no example to set for your brother."_

 _Fèlix had glanced at his rosy-cheeked younger brother, who had just the day before held up traffic to rescue a turtle that had been sitting in the road._

 _"I think Adrien will be just fine, Maman."_

 _Fèlix didn't care about Chat Noir's less-than-pristine reputation, either._

 _The task was draining, stressful, and thankless. As the months went by and Ladybug grew in her abilities, Fèlix couldn't help feeling like the inferior member of the team. He didn't care. He did his best to stay out of her way, to protect her if need be, and didn't worry whether he came off as likable._

 _He hadn't asked to be Paris's hero. He wasn't going to pretend to be anything he wasn't. He didn't need to be liked._

 _Ladybug, however, took what people said to heart._

 _"She's a child," they mumbled. "Look at her, with her pigtails and her ribbons and her scrawny frame."_

 _"She's too young to have that kind of responsibility. She's too young to be thrown into that much danger."_

 _"I'm stronger than you think," Ladybug said after one of their earliest battles, her chin held high._

 _"Oh, strong she might be," they tittered. "No one can deny that the child is capable. But can we really in good conscience allow someone so young to risk so much?"_

 _"She does have that Chat Noir," others pointed out. "He takes care of her pretty well."_

 _"That's not his job," Ladybug protested. She crossed her arms and stared down the one who made the remark. "Our job is to keep Paris safe. We take care of each other. We are young, but I assure you there is no one better equipped than Chat Noir and I for this responsibility."_

 _Fèlix always refused comment, allowing her to do all the talking. He stood a few feet back with an entirely flat look on his face._

 _"That Chat Noir isn't exactly a friendly one," someone said._

 _"Typical cat," someone else muttered._

 _"Can we trust him?" asked several._

 _"Yes," Ladybug said forcefully, with an expression like a hurricane. The Parisians fell silent._

 _Behind her, Fèlix smiled, for only a moment. Then his face was impassive again._

* * *

The news played the footage over and over and over and over and over and—

Adrien sat on the floor, his head wrapped up in his arms. He did not want to watch it anymore. He was tired of watching his brother die.

But he couldn't manage to stand and turn it off. He stared at the floor, not seeing the screen, but he could still hear everything that happened. He felt the shift in mood when they were unable to find Chat Noir's heartbeat. He heard Ladybug's soft "no", followed by a cry that stabbed him straight through the heart every time. He could tell the exact moment the transformation wore off—three paramedics and a superheroine gasped in unison. He heard an awed whisper of, "Fèlix Agreste," from an observer near the mic.

His gut wrenched. He couldn't turn the TV off.

Where was his father? Why wasn't he there?

* * *

 _A little girl with a collection of dolls was the first akuma to gain control of Fèlix, about eight months after he acquired the Miraculous._

 _He came back to himself, disoriented with a gap in his memory, sitting on his butt on the floor of the Kidz+ studio. "What happened?"_

 _"You were a puppet," Ladybug said. "I saved you. You're welcome."_

 _Chat Noir blinked and looked around him. "You took on five at once?"_

 _She smirked, snapping her yo-yo into her hand. "Wasn't easy. Let's try not to let it happen again."_

 _"No kidding." Fèlix frowned sourly and climbed to his feet. "No one gets to tell me what to do. Except me."_

 _"Doesn't stop me."_

 _"You're funny, Ribbons."_

 _She smiled a real smile. Fatigued but happy. "I missed you, Chat," she said. He allowed her to pat his arm before she took off._

 _On his own way home Fèlix grimaced, a disturbing thought occurring to him._

 _Were he and Ladybug friends? He didn't make many of those these days._

 _A friend._

 _He could live with it._

* * *

The service was packed.

Curious Parisians clamored to get in. A few handfuls of people Adrien recognized managed to find a seat to squeeze into. The only people in attendance who had known Fèlix were himself, Père, Nathalie, and the Gorilla.

Maman had not come. Neither had Ladybug.

It seemed silly now, but...he had thought they might.

* * *

 _"Adrien?" Fèlix called out._

 _"In my room," called Adrien's voice._

 _Fèlix entered to see his little brother lying facedown on the bed._

 _"You're probably getting your makeup all over that pillowcase," Fèlix pointed out._

 _Adrien groaned and rolled over. "I hate modelling."_

 _"Yeah," Fèlix said, sitting beside his brother. "Well, it's too late now. Père won't let you quit."_

 _"How come you don't have to do it?" Adrien said._

 _"Because I was smart enough to suck at it," Fèlix said._

 _"I should have tried that," Adrien said. "Oh, well. At least it's a chance to get out of the house. And to get Père to talk to me."_

 _Fèlix bit his tongue to keep from speaking ill of their father. "Well, there are other ways to get out of the house."_

 _Adrien flopped back over. "Like what?" he asked, voice muffled._

 _"Like collège."_

 _"Collège?" Adrien looked up in surprise. There was a crease mark from the pillowcase on his cheek. "You mean, real school? With other kids?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _Adrien considered it, grimaced, and let his face fall back onto the pillow. "Père would never allow it."_

 _"You could try," Fèlix said._

 _"No," Adrien said, his tone completely dismissive. "I know exactly how it would go. It's not worth it."_

 _Fèlix frowned, twisting his ring absently, deep in thought. "Hmm."_

 _"Did you want something?"_

 _"I did, actually. To use your computer," Fèlix said, standing and walking to it. He bumped the mouse. "Hey, do you—"_

 _Adrien sat bolt upright. "Wait! Don't—"_

 _Too late. The monitor had awoken, proudly displaying its wallpaper—a girl wearing red and black spots, flying through the air by her yo-yo, face set in determination._

 _Adrien groaned and buried his face back into his pillow. "Nonononononono—"_

 _Fèlix laughed aloud. "Adrien, do you have a crush on Ladybug?"_

 _"Shut up."_

 _Even as Fèlix teased his brother, he couldn't help approving. Ladybug was not unpleasant, and he had thought more than once that she and Adrien would get along._

 _It would be good for Adrien, too, to make a friend like her. It would be good for him to get out of the house, to run around._

 _Fèlix looked down at the ring on his hand, the ring that he hadn't wanted, the ring that didn't suit him—_

 _An idea occurred to him._

* * *

Ladybug didn't attend the funeral, but Marinette did.

She stood in the back, fists balled at her sides to hide her emotion. She did not let herself cry like she wanted to. It wouldn't make sense for mild-mannered Marinette, student and baker's daughter, to grieve so much for someone she had only known by sight.

She went home and threw herself on her chaise. Tikki sat on her pillow and stroked her cheek as she let herself break down.

And part of her—part of her still didn't believe it.

She had seen Chat Noir fall, and she had seen Fèlix Agreste looking waxy and cold in the casket.

But she hadn't known Fèlix Agreste. Seeing his lifeless body gave her no closure.

It felt as though Chat Noir was still out there, his identity still a mystery, living a life she wasn't familiar with, waiting till the next time they patrolled the city.

* * *

 _"You ever think we should share our identities?" Ladybug wondered one day on patrol._

 _"No," Fèlix said immediately._

 _Ladybug sighed with relief. "Oh, good. Me neither."_

 _"Ouch. Don't trust me?"_

 _"If I didn't trust you we would both be minions of Hawk Moth by now, several times over," Ladybug said. "I just don't want your bad luck following me around in my civilian life, too." She smirked._

 _"Fair enough," Fèlix said._

 _"And how about you? Why aren't you keen on uncovering Ladybug's secret identity?" Ladybug asked. "It's all most of the city talks about. There's even a blog dedicated to unmasking me."_

 _Fèlix had a few options for snarky answers ready. But he looked at the girl next to him, whom he'd initially been indifferent toward but who had become almost as much of a younger sibling to him as Adrien, and he had to try to say something real._

 _"Well, uh...I figure I know you pretty well the way it is."_

 _It was a weak answer, but Ladybug turned and grinned at him. She got it._

* * *

The kwami came to Adrien at a bad time.

"Wait!" the kwami squealed, ears flattened against his head, dodging a poorly-thrown fencing trophy. "Just let me explain—"

"I just buried my brother," Adrien said, tears making his vision go blurry. "And as if that's not enough for someone to be dealing with at once, I also have to find out he was a superhero this whole time, and kept that from me for two years, and—"

"He had to!" the kwami squeaked. "It was for your protection as much as his—"

"His _protection_? My brother is dead, and he would still be here if it wasn't for you and your Chat Noir. And then you have the nerve to pop up and ask me to _take my dead brother's place_ —"

"Your brother wanted you to!" the kwami cried. His tail flicked in irritation. "He thought you'd be a better hero than him."

"I—what did you say?"

"You heard me."

Adrien stared. "He told you that? He thought that?"

"At least consider it," Plagg whined. "I don't have anywhere else to go. And you are the right choice. Your brother was right."

"I...still no. Find someone else."

"Would you just let me stick around for a while?" Plagg said. "Take some time to think. Ask me any questions you might have about your brother, if you want."

"I don't want the job."

"That's not what Fèlix said," Plagg said. "He said you would want to be out there. Helping people. Doing what Ladybug does."

"Stop." Adrien turned away. Her name made him remember the footage on the news, the blood and the body bag, the stunned tears.

"Look, I'm sorry, kid." Plagg zoomed around to face him again, and the snark seemed to have drained out of him. "I'm crushed that this happened. But Paris needs a new Chat Noir. Give it a chance. I'm sticking around either way."

Adrien ignored him and moved to his computer, only to realize that his background was still Ladybug.

He sighed and turned the whole thing off.

* * *

 _Fèlix crept up on his brother with steps as soft as a cat's. "Boo!"_

 _"Aah!" Adrien screamed, throwing up his hands to cover his computer screen—which was futile, as there were two other computer screens on either side of it._

 _Fèlix grinned. "Catching up on the Ladyblog, little brother?"_

 _"Er...yes. You caught me. Just catching up on what I've missed."_

 _"Or are you maybe obsessively refreshing the homepage so that you'll see the daily update the moment it's up?"_

 _Adrien groaned and let his head hit the desk while Fèlix laughed. "I just want to be informed!"_

 _"No, you're just a die-hard Ladybug fan," Fèlix said._

 _"Yeah," Adrien sighed. "But I can't help it. She's so amazing."_

 _Out of curiosity, Fèlix prodded, "What about Chat Noir?"_

 _"Oh, he's cool too."_

 _"Cool?"_

 _"Yeah, his job is awesome. We just don't know a lot about him. Seems like he prefers to let Ladybug take the spotlight."_

 _Fèlix frowned. "You don't think he's surly or irritating?"_

 _"Oh, he definitely is, but you are too, and you're all right," Adrien said absently. "Hey, Alya updated!"_

 _Fèlix looked fondly at his brother as he clicked the blog post and sagged in disappointment. "Just more identity speculation," Adrien said. "Alya really has no idea. Last week she thought Ladybug might be a student at her school, but I looked into it and basically everyone there has been either akumatized or been seen in the same place as Ladybug and Chat Noir. It's unlikely."_

 _"You know, she does seem about your age," Fèlix said conversationally. "Who knows, if you went to collège, you might even end up in her class."_

 _"I've thought about that," Adrien said, idly clicking around in the Ladyblog's archives. "I would love to meet her someday."_

 _"I bet you will." Fèlix said._

* * *

 _"Hmph."_

 _"Do you have something to say, Plagg?" Fèlix said, sitting at his desk._

 _"You can't just dump your Miraculous on your little brother."_

 _"And why not?" Fèlix asked, swiveling his chair around._

 _"It's nepotism, for one thing."_

 _Fèlix snorted. "As if you cared."_

 _"For another, your time as Chat Noir is not over."_

 _"So I have to be Chat Noir for the rest of my life?"_

 _"No, but you can't just quit because you're getting sick of it." Plagg crossed his tiny arms. Fèlix had never seen his kwami so serious._

 _"Can I quit because someone else would be better at the job?"_

 _"He would have to be trained, and it would put us at an extreme disadvantage. Hawk Moth could take advantage of our temporary weakness."_

 _Fèlix sighed. "I think you just don't want to admit that you made a mistake choosing me."_

 _"I didn't choose you, idiot," Plagg grumbled._

 _Fèlix raised an eyebrow. "So it was random?"_

 _Plagg huffed. "Of course it wasn't random. Master Fu chose you."_

 _"Then he's the one who made the mistake."_

 _"He knew what he was doing."_

 _"How come Hawk Moth ended up with a Miraculous, then?" Fèlix asked. "I assume someone chose him, too."_

 _"That is not the same."_

 _"How can I get in contact with this Master Fu person?"_

* * *

Plagg groaned loudly and flopped onto Fèlix's bed face-first.

Tikki had said that her new partner would appear any day, but he wasn't showing up.

Ladybug kept fighting alone. The akumas came every day.

Why shouldn't they have? One hero down. One to go.

Marinette fell asleep in class regularly. The dark circles under her eyes sparked no end of concern from her parents and Alya.

Part of Marinette was glad she had so much to do and so little time to sleep. The work kept her mind off her loss.

At other times it made it impossible to ignore. In combat, she kept expecting to see Chat's surly face there when she turned, ready to gripe, to call her "Ribbons" and perch on his baton at precarious heights. A few times she got herself in serious trouble, relying on the support she no longer had.

It was so odd fighting by herself.

Mostly she was just exhausted. She wasn't supposed to be alone.

* * *

 _Adrien lacked life these days._

 _He answered Nathalie's questions in tutoring mechanically. He yawned often, picked at his food, and spent most of his time playing video games that Fèlix knew he was bored of._

 _On the other hand, Ladybug was gaining confidence. Her cry of "Lucky Charm!" was stronger every time Fèlix heard it. She held herself differently, gained muscle and agility and skill with her yo-yo, and gave an interview to a blog run by a local student._

 _She was taller these days, too. Fèlix started when he noticed it one night on patrol._

 _Even more disturbing was the realization that Adrien had shot up just as much._

 _Ladybug had gained color in her cheeks, life in her eyes._

 _Adrien looked pale. His eyes were dull._

 _The weight of the Miraculous ring felt bulky and wrong on Fèlix's finger._

* * *

"Fèlix probably wouldn't have expected this," Plagg said, watching passerby leaving flowers at the foot of Chat Noir's memorial statue.

Adrien stared at the kwami in surprise. "What? People paying their respects?"

"They were...harsh on him," Plagg said. "Seems weird that they're changing their tune now that he's dead."

"Hmm," Adrien said. "I don't know. He did essentially die for them. Shouldn't they thank him in any way they can?" He watched a small girl place a homemade card against the bouquet her mother had set down.

Plagg frowned. "I guess so."

Adrien smiled faintly, watching the little girl toddle to her parents. A she went, she looked up at the sculpted face of Chat Noir, which required that she tilted her head so far back that she almost toppled. With a pull in his chest, Adrien realized she was wearing a felt pair of cat ears.

"He was appreciated," Adrien said.

Plagg's expression loosened. He seemed to have seen the child as well. "Maybe."

"You know what the thing that bothers me is?" Adrien's shoulders slumped. He sank onto a bench like all his energy had suddenly left him. "I think I'm the only one really mourning _him_. Fèlix, rather than Chat Noir. My father keeps it all inside, and I see him even less than I did before. Maman...Maman could be anywhere. She might not have even heard that he's gone. And Fèlix didn't have many friends."

"Ladybug liked him," Plagg said.

"So I could tell." He let out a long breath. "Hey, I'm sorry for throwing that trophy at you. That wasn't me."

"Huh?"

"When we first met. That wasn't cool."

"Oh." Plagg paused. "That's all right."

"This doesn't necessarily mean I'll take the Miraculous, you know. Me talking to you."

Plagg grinned. "Whatever. You're coming around."

* * *

 _Fèlix looked up from his book. "Why are you watching the news?"_

 _"I was hoping there might be something about Ladybug and Chat Noir," Adrien said. "There was an attack today."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah. Someone said that Chat Noir got transformed into a clone of the victim, complete with five-inch heels." Adrien smiled, which was good to see. "I heard he looked ridiculous."_

 _"I heard he rocked them," Fèlix muttered, flipping a page. "Have you thought more about collège?"_

 _Adrien looked away from the TV and frowned. "Why do you want me to go to school so bad?"_

 _"Because you need a life, Adrien. You need friends."_

 _"You don't."_

 _"You're not me."_

 _"I have Chloé and you."_

 _"You're proving my point."_

 _Adrien sighed. "I don't know. I'll keep thinking."_

* * *

Adrien held his head high. "Père...I want to go to collège."

His father's eyes flicked up, but his face remained neutral. "I see."

"I'm...tired of being isolated. I want to go to school, and be a normal kid. I want to make friends."

Gabriel looked back down at his paperwork. "You're safe here, in your home," he said. "There's nothing wrong with your homeschooling. And there's nothing wrong with your friends, either."

"I'm miserable here," Adrien said. "I only have one friend, and she goes to public school. Please, Père, consider it."

A few beats of silence.

In desperation, Adrien tried his last argument. "It's what Fèlix wanted me to do."

He immediately regretted it.

Gabriel Agreste closed his eyes calmly, but Adrien saw his brows twitch together. "My answer is no, Adrien. You have everything you need right here."

"Père—" Adrien started, meaning to apologize.

"No. I'm glad you mentioned your brother," Gabriel interrupted. "I would think Fèlix would be a prime example of why it's important you stay here. Safe."

Uncharacteristically, defiance flared in Adrien. Before he could stop himself, he had half-yelled at his retreating father—"Fèlix was a hero! He died doing something that meant something. I'd rather die like that tomorrow than spend a hundred years locked in this house, putting nothing of value into the world except advertisements for designer clothing."

Gabriel didn't respond, to Adrien's surprise. Part of him had expected to be punished harshly. His father only walked stiffly to his office, shutting the door quickly.

Adrien flexed his hands, then balled them into fists to hide their shaking. He took a deep breath and went to his room.

"Plagg?"

The kwami popped out of his pocket, blinking blearily. "Yeah?"

"Fèlix really thought I should be Chat Noir?"

"He did. He was _annoying_ about it."

"Then I'll do it."

"Wow," Plagg said, blinking. "Why the change of heart?"

"I just think it's time I start listening to my brother."

A week later, on the first day of school, he snuck out of the house. He was caught before his foot touched the school's front steps.

His father lectured him sternly. Adrien bore it silently. The next morning he snuck out again, and was caught again.

The morning after that Gabriel stood rigidly in front of Adrien and offered him a deal.

He was going to be allowed to take Fèlix's advice. He was going to go to school.

* * *

Ladybug had been serving Paris for two years. Her civilian identity was phasing out the pigtails, but as Ladybug she tied them up, ribbons and all, for every transformation. A reminder of the youth that had made them underestimate her in the beginning.

Had they been right to do so? Sometimes Marinette thought they might have been, though not because of her age.

Perhaps someone else would have been able to save Chat Noir. Perhaps even Alya, had Marinette succeeded in transferring the Miraculous to her.

Marinette shook the thought out of her head and threw her yo-yo, springing off the roof and landing lightly on the next building.

She was poised to jump to the next one when she spotted a dark figure feet away, semi-hidden with shining eyes.

Marinette stopped abruptly and fell over her own feet. "Chat?" she gasped, standing. She squinted.

Tikki had said to expect another Chat Noir, but she hadn't expected him to look...so similar.

He took a few steps forward, and Marinette could see the differences. This one looked closer to her own age. His hair was shorter, but still blond and disheveled. His eyes were green, not blue, and were wider and more taken aback by the sight of her than she was used to from Chat Noir.

"You're the new Chat Noir?" she said, glad she sounded stronger than she had before. The new Chat Noir didn't have to know how much her hands would have been shaking if she didn't have them clenched tightly around her yo-yo.

"Um, yeah, I am." He took a deep breath. "It's nice to meet you, Ladybug."

Ladybug composed herself. "Great. I was wondering when you would turn up. It hasn't been easy protecting Paris by myself." She looked him up and down appraisingly.

The new Chat Noir looked sheepish. "Sorry. I was kind of...reluctant."

Ladybug pursed her lips against a pained smile. "Understandable," she said. "Ready to go? We should try to get you used to traveling with your staff."

* * *

 _"Plagg must have told you that Miraculous holders don't traditionally choose their successors," Master Fu said, holding out a cup of tea. Wayzz hovered above his shoulder._

 _"I know," Fèlix said, taking the cup. "But Adrien is the obvious choice."_

 _"What, so he'd make friends with Ladybug?" Plagg raised an eyebrow. "There's a lot more at stake here than your brother's social life."_

 _Fèlix glared. "You think I don't know that?" He turned to the Master. "Adrien is a better person than me. He gives everything he has. He works better with others—and he and Ladybug would complement each other well. And he cares about people."_

 _"This is a pointless conversation," Plagg said. "It's not his time to give up the Miraculous yet."_

 _"It is not," Master Fu agreed calmly._

 _"The people I'm supposed to protect don't trust me or even like me a little bit. And how can I blame them?" Fèlix said. "Adrien's the only person who's ever has, which just goes to show how good he is."_

 _"Ladybug likes you," Plagg said pointedly._

 _"Yes, something else they have in common. You see?" Fèlix turned to the Master. "He's better suited to this job, and better suited to Ladybug. He'd be a better hero."_

 _"Fèlix," Master Fu said, "When you and your partner first began your service to this city, she struggled with some self-doubt, did she not?"_

 _"That's different. Ladybug is a natural hero. She's brave and unselfish."_

 _Wayzz hid a smile beneath a turtle-like arm. Master Fu laughed. "And you believe that you are not?"_

 _"Of course I'm not."_

 _"You are selfish, yet you want nothing more than to give up your Miraculous for your brother? You are a coward, yet you come into the home of the Great Guardian, sip his tea, and tell him he has made an egregious mistake?" Fu chuckled, his laughter reaching his eyes._

 _Fèlix set down his cup, abashed. "I'm sorry."_

 _"There is no need to apologize, Chat Noir. I am glad that you care enough to take action." Fu stroked Plagg's head. "If you feel you need to give up the Miraculous, I can't stop you. However, I don't believe I find it advisable to pass it on for this reason. Especially under current circumstances," he said, his face creasing with worry. Wayzz looked forlornly at a phonograph sitting on a chest behind them._

 _Fèlix sighed. "Then can I ask you for a favor?"_

 _Master Fu raised an eyebrow. "You may."_

 _"When the day comes that I am no longer Chat Noir, will you at least consider Adrien for my replacement, if he is able and willing?"_

 _Master Fu nodded. "That I will do, Chat Noir."_

* * *

"I think I have the hang of this," Chat Noir said, landing lightly and pressing a button on his staff. It retracted into a handheld baton. He pressed another button and it became a phone, dialing Ladybug. He tried to hang up, but instead caused the staff to break into two pieces in his hands. "Oops."

Ladybug took it from him and put the pieces back together. "You'll get it," she said, handing it back. "We've spent enough time on this. We should patrol." She walked to the edge of the roof.

"Wait!" he said, and she stopped.

She turned, exasperation clear in her voice. "What?"

"Don't you want to know my name?" he asked.

She looked at him incredulously. "Are you crazy? No!"

"Oh….I always thought...that you and Chat Noir knew. Each other's identities, I mean."

"Nope," Ladybug said, lips pursed, and jumped off the building without another word. Clear message: Don't push it.

He landed next to her. "So what's the plan?"

"Patrol."

"That's all? So, we just wander around looking for bad guys?"

"Pretty much."

"Together or separate?"

"Either," she said. "But I'm taking off now, and I feel like running, so tonight it depends on whether you can keep up."

And she was off without another word.

Chat Noir took off after her, smiling to himself.

* * *

"This is so weird," Ladybug heard the new Chat Noir say to himself as they soared above the city, racing to get to the akuma.

"Good weird?" she asked, landing and breaking into a run.

Chat Noir kept pace beside her. "The coolest kind of weird," he said, grinning. It almost unsettled Ladybug to see such a smile of genuine pleasure on the face of Chat Noir. Fèlix's rare smiles had been small and reserved, not to mention brief. It had only been a week since the appearance of the new Chat Noir, and she hadn't yet adjusted.

A great roar knocked them both off their feet. They were thrown backward and onto the pavement, Ladybug on top of Chat Noir.

Chat Noir winced. "That's not normal, right?"

Ladybug stood with a groan, rubbing the back of her head. If her cure didn't fix that, she was going to end up with one heck of a goose egg. "There's no such thing as normal with these things," she said, extending a hand to help Chat Noir up. "Don't worry. You're ready."

Chat Noir got to his feet. "Did you feel ready during your first battle?" he asked.

"Not even a little bit," she said, spinning her yo-yo. "Let's go." She charged the akuma, Chat Noir on her heels.

* * *

 _Fèlix crossed his arms and glared at her. Ladybug returned the stare. She did a pretty good job looking intimidating for a fifteen year old kid in polka dots. "What?" she said. "I took care of it."_

 _"You just leapt into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Ladybug," he said flatly._

 _"I did, and it worked," she said. "So what's the problem?"_

 _"The problem?" Fèlix said, raising his eyebrows. "The problem is that I thought you were dead for a good 20 seconds."_

 _Ladybug smirked. "I'm just insulted that you'd think I'd jump into a dinosaur's mouth without a plan to escape. Honestly, Chat, have some faith."_

 _"Don't you get how bad your death would be for me? You vouching for me is the only reason Parisians tolerate me."_

 _"Aw, you do care."_

 _"This is serious, Ribbons."_

 _Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Calm down. I didn't die and you don't have to save Paris by yourself."_

 _Fèlix huffed. His ring beeped._

 _"That's my cue," Ladybug said with a grin, preparing to yo-yo away. "Later."_

 _"Wait," Fèlix said. He wanted to say something, or maybe hug her, to let her know how relieved he was that she was okay. But he rarely hugged anyone, and the words didn't come. He ended up awkwardly patting her on the head. "Be more...careful," he said, gruffly and awkwardly._

 _She gave him a strange look. "Okay, Chat Noir. See you around."_

* * *

Adrien Agreste was joining their class.

Once upon a time the fact would have sparked swooning and tears and endless squabbles throughout the school over who got to ask for an autograph first.

Now, people clustered in groups as he walked by, whispering, with looks of sympathy on their faces. He seemed not to notice. Marinette wondered if it was an act.

Chloé Bourgeois was worst—she hung off his arm, gushing obnoxiously. He was clearly uncomfortable, but her claws only sunk in deeper.

Marinette watched from a distance over the top of her fashion magazine.

She knew him as the son of Gabriel Agreste, her role model. And she knew him as the model whose face graced ads all around Paris. At one point she'd had his posters plastered on every wall of her bedroom.

But ever since Fèlix's death, Adrien had become the other Agreste boy. The one most qualified to condemn or absolve her.

"Checking out the new kid?" Alya said mischievously, sitting next to her. "He's handsome."

"No," Marinette lied, turning her attention back to her magazine. "He's probably just as bratty as Chloé." This, at least, could be true.

But Adrien had known a side of the first Chat Noir that she had only glimpsed. She wished she could talk to him about it. She still knew so little about her partner's life.

But she was scared. There was no way he could know her connection to his brother, but—to look into his eyes, knowing what she'd done to him—

Or had she? She realized she was waiting to hear whether he blamed Ladybug before she judged for herself.

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

It didn't make things any easier that his father was her favorite fashion designer and that he was exceptionally handsome.

When she saw that Adrien was headed in her direction, she ducked out of the way.

* * *

 _"Thanks, Chat Noir!" a young girl squeaked as Fèlix carefully set her on the ground. He nodded briefly in her direction, but otherwise ignored her as he approached Ladybug._

 _Ladybug leaned around him to give the girl a friendly wave. "Be careful getting home!" She turned to her partner, crossing her arms and frowning. "Chat."_

 _"I know," he grumbled. "Politeness."_

 _"That's right. Because…"_

 _"Because we're here to serve the public," he said. "In my defense, she was really talkative."_

 _"Doesn't matter. We still have to be nice."_

 _"Don't you know by now? I'm not good at 'nice'."_

 _Ladybug put her hand on Fèlix's shoulder. "What's going on, Chat Noir?"_

 _How would she react if he told her?_

 _She might try to change his mind. But if she didn't, she might be able to help him._

 _She deserved to know, anyway._

 _Chat Noir sighed. "Okay, Ribbons, don't freak out. I talked to Master Fu about giving up my Miraculous."_

* * *

"Can I ask you something?" Adrien asked cautiously. They were sitting on the edge of a roof, feet dangling. Ladybug's legs kicked out in the open air above Paris.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Did you know him as Fèlix?"

Ladybug shook her head. "Not really. Hadn't said one word to him out of costume. He wouldn't have even recognized my name, had I told it to him."

"But you really cared about him, didn't you?" Adrien said.

Ladybug shrugged. Adrien thought he could see her guard going back up. _Adrien, you complete idiot._

But she spoke after a minute. "I'm an only child," she said.

He looked at her. "Yeah?" He was paying rapt attention. He still knew so little about her.

"Yeah. And I don't mind it, but Cha—Fèlix was….We ran around Paris together for two years. He was grumpy, but—" Ladybug cut herself off, wiping her eyes impatiently, like she was irritated that she was breaking down in front of him. She cleared her throat.

Adrien found he couldn't speak. Ladybug let out a breath, ruffling her bangs. "Anyway," she said, clearly trying for a breezy tone, "We should—"

Adrien put an arm around her hesitantly. "I'm sorry," he said.

Ladybug looked at him hard.

"Yeah...me, too."

They sat in silence for a moment. Ladybug sat stiffly, but didn't indicate she wanted him to drop his arm. She closed her eyes.

He wished he could tell her that he knew exactly how she felt, how he had grieved just as much for the old Chat Noir. More, probably.

But he couldn't. It would be too easy for her to figure out his identity.

So he settled for telling part of the truth.

"I lost someone this year too," he said.

Ladybug relaxed in his embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Yeah. Me, too."

* * *

Marinette slid into her second-row desk next to Alya, trying hard to ignore Adrien–which was difficult since he was sitting right in front of her.

Luckily she had a pretty good distraction. Chloé stomped across the room to her seat next to Sabrina, muttering. "How dare she? Mlle Bustier making me move seats against my will! Doesn't she know who my father is?"

The eyes of the class ping-ponged between Chloé and Adrien, who seemed embarrassed at the attention.

Nino was slouched in the seat Chloé had been forced to leave, on Adrien's left. He watched her go with a look of boredom, then took off his headphones and let them hang from his neck. "Dude, can I ask you something?" Marinette heard him ask.

"Sure," Adrien said, sounding surprised.

"You seem like a cool guy," Nino said.

"Thanks."

"So no offense, but...why do you hang out with Chloé?"

Alya leaned down, unapologetically jumping into their conversation. "I was wondering the same thing."

Marinette pretended not to be paying attention, but listened closely for his answer. "I've known her since I was a little kid….She's not perfect, but I can't just snub her. She's sort of my only fr…" He trailed off, embarrassed.

"Hey," Nino said. Marinette glanced up to see Nino's hand outstretched to Adrien. "I'm Nino. It's time you make more friends, dude."

Adrien grinned and shook it. "Nice to meet you."

Alya cleared her throat. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Nino?"

"You I know," Adrien said, turning to look at her. "I'm a big fan of your blog."

Alya squealed and brought her hands up to her mouth. "Really? Thank you! That means so much coming from—" Marinette pinched her quickly and Alya shut up, turning a shade redder.

"My brother liked it too," Adrien assured her, and Alya smiled.

After class was dismissed they walked out of the building, Adrien chattering with Alya and Nino while Marinette listened quietly.

"That's my ride," Adrien said, gesturing toward a waiting limo.

"Okay," Nino said. "See you tomorrow, then." He and Alya took off down the street toward their houses, the opposite direction of Marinette's.

Adrien smiled and turned to Marinette. "I never got your name."

Marinette felt herself turn pink. "Marinette," she said.

"Nice to meet you, Marinette" Adrien said. "See you tomorrow?"

Feeling the panic building up, Marinette took a few steps backward, stumbling over her own feet. "My parents are probably wondering…"

Not bothering to finish her sentence, she turned and ran.

* * *

"Get ready," Ladybug said, her face set in concentration. Lady Wifi cried out with frustration above their heads, realizing that she'd lost her cell phone signal.

"So," Chat Noir said casually, "what do you do in real life? When you're not doing Ladybug things?"

Ladybug groaned, snapped her yo-yo into her hand, and turned to him. "Do you honestly think this is the time?"

A door slammed above them. Ladybug looked up. "She went back into the hotel. Come on."

"You're really not curious?" Chat Noir asked as he sprinted up the stairs on Ladybug's heels. "We could already know each other in real life, for all we know!"

"I doubt it," she called back, stopping as they approached the only unlocked door. "Get ready for an ambush, on three."

Chat Noir pushed the thought away as they prepared to break down the door. There would be time to talk after they saved Alya.

* * *

"Bien joué," they said together, bumping fists in what had become their ritual. Some of Ladybug's hair had come loose from her ribbons during the battle. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, both of them giddy on the thrill of another victory.

"Ladybug? Chat Noir?" cried a voice from the ground. Chat Noir turned to see Alya scrambling up from the ground. "Wow, can I get an interview for the Ladyblog? Let me just find my phone!" She turned and scanned her surroundings. "Where am I?"

Ladybug's earrings chirped, and Chat Noir put a hand on her shoulder. "We should go. You only have a minute," he murmured. She nodded and they hurriedly left the roof, disappearing before Alya could turn back to them.

The hotel was quiet, but open, and there was nowhere to hide. They scanned the space and found a small unlocked closet. Ladybug seized the door handle.

"Wait," Chat Noir said, catching the door as it swung toward him. He took her hand. "I wouldn't tell anyone."

Ladybug smiled sadly, slipping her hand out of his. "It's not that I don't trust you," she said. "It's just better that we keep it a secret for now." She slipped into the closet and pulled the door closed behind her.

Chat Noir stared at the doorknob. The door wasn't even latched all the way. He reached out a hand. It would be so easy to pull it open...

A flash of pink light showed through the crack in the door—the girl who was Ladybug was standing on the other side of it, maskless.

Chat Noir pushed it closed with a click.

* * *

 _"My replacement might be the best Chat Noir yet. Maybe he'd do a much better job than me, and you'd work with him better."_

 _She frowned. "We work together great."_

 _"I hold you back and you know it, Ribbons." Fèlix shook his head, frowning. "Face it."_

 _"You are my partner, Chat. No one else will ever be. I've worked with you for a year, and we're an unbeatable team. And you want to throw all of that away?"_

 _"Ladybug—"_

 _"I thought we were friends."_

 _"Yes, we are friends. I didn't mean that I—"_

 _"I'll see you on patrol tomorrow. Unless you give up your Miraculous before then." She threw her yo-yo and vanished._

* * *

"Dude, what's wrong?" Nino asked.

Adrien looked at him in surprise. "Wrong?"

Alya lifted her head off of the table. "You've been tapping that pen more and more loudly for the past ten minutes. The librarian keeps giving you dirtier and dirtier looks."

"Oh. Oops." Adrien put his pen down.

"So what's on your mind?" Alya pushed. "It's not nothing. You were distracted in class all day."

Adrien chewed on his lip. "It's not a big deal….I kind of don't think Marinette likes me."

"Why's that?" Nino said, raising an eyebrow. Alya looked like she was suppressing laughter.

"She's always looking at me funny out the corner of my eye, never wants to talk to me, and walks away when I get close," Adrien said.

"Hmm," Alya said, contorting her face to control her grin.

Nino looked at her suspiciously. "Do you have a scoop you're not sharing?"

"Of course not!" She crossed her arms. "Just a suspicion."

"What's your suspicion?" Adrien asked.

Alya shook her head. "Never mind."

"She's just sizing you up, that's my theory," Nino said. "Don't worry about it, bro, just keep being friendly to her."

"She's been a little...off lately," Alya said.

"Off? Why?"

"I don't know," Alya said, deflating. "I don't think she feels like she can tell me. But she isn't getting enough sleep, she's behind on her schoolwork, she doesn't hum..."

"Hum?" Nino asked.

"She used to hum when she was happy. I don't know. I wish she would let me help."

Adrien put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you're plenty of help just being there, supporting her."

Alya smiled sadly. "I hope so."

* * *

 _Ladybug was cold to him during their next few battles. Two weeks after their spat, he caught her elbow just as she was about to leave._

 _"Wait, Ribbons," he said. "I'm sorry."_

 _She raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"_

 _"I should have realized you'd be hurt. I was insensitive."_

 _She looked like she was fighting a smile. "Did you just apologize?"_

 _Fèlix looked at his feet. "Please don't make me do it again. It's unpleasant."_

 _Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Are you still going to give up your Miraculous?"_

 _"Fu says I shouldn't for a while."_

 _"A while?"_

 _"I don't know how long. Maybe it'll be another two years."_

 _Ladybug looked away. "Look, I don't want to be the reason you keep doing this if you really hate it."_

 _"Hey. Ribbons." She didn't look at him so he said it again. "Ribbons."_

 _She reluctantly made eye contact with him, and he put a hand on her shoulder, just like he had during one of their first battles. "I don't really hate this job," he said. "I promise. I can stick around for a while."_

 _"Okay," she said. "If you're sure."_

 _"I'm sure," Fèlix said. He tried for a smile, which he didn't do often. "See you around, Ladybug."_

* * *

"Marinette?"

Marinette looked up. "Oh! Adrien! Hi!"

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hey."

"Do you want to sit here? You look like you're looking for a place to sit. Not that I mean you have to sit, if you don't want to—" She cut herself off and coughed. Act normal, she scolded herself. "I mean, please! Sit. If you want to."

"Okay," Adrien said, pulling out a chair. "Chemistry was interesting today, wasn't it?"

"Oh. Hmm, I guess so," Marinette said.

"Did you finish the physics project yet?" Adrien asked, pulling his out of his bag. "I thought maybe you could give me some feedback on mine."

Marinette leaned over and looked at it. It was clearly well-researched. She could tell he had put hours of work into it. "Wow! This is amazing."

Adrien beamed. "Thanks."

"I didn't know you liked physics so much."

Adrien paged through his project. "Yeah. All types of science really."

"Do you want to do something with it?" Marinette asked.

Adrien stared at her. "Do something?"

"You know...for a career."

"Oh," Adrien said. "I guess I already kind of have one."

"I guess," Marinette said. She glanced at her bookbag, thinking of the fashion magazine within featuring Adrien on the front cover. "Are you happy with it?"

"It's not too bad. I get to go to public school now, so I can live with the modeling."

"It doesn't sound like your passion," Marinette noted.

"I guess not. But it's fine," Adrien shrugged. He opened his notebook. "Science can be a hobby."

"Well, if you're happy," Marinette said doubtfully, turning back to her textbook.

"What do you want to do?"

Marinette looked up, confused. "Do?"

"You know, as a career," Adrien said, smiling.

Marinette blushed. "Oh. Actually, I want to be a designer. I kind of look up to your dad a lot."

"Oh!" Adrien said, comprehension dawning on his face. "Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"Um, yeah." That was a better excuse than I used to fight crime with your brother and I feel guilty for not saving him every time I look at you. "Uh huh."

"I guess I thought you felt weird about Fèlix," Adrien said.

Marinette cringed. "I guess you're sick of people bringing him up."

"Nah," Adrien said. "People never do actually ask me about it. They just stand there and whisper, or awkwardly stammer out condolences."

"That sounds uncomfortable," Marinette said. She had pitied herself for being entirely alone in her grief, unable to let anyone know that she was hurting. But Adrien's was common knowledge. That came with its own downsides.

"I don't really want to talk about what happened. But I don't mind talking about him, especially since he didn't have the best reputation. I want people to know he was a good guy."

Marinette twisted her fingers in her lap, feeling a pang. "Fèlix was known for being...brusque, but Chat Noir was known for helping a lot of people," she said. "People know how good he was, even if he wasn't always warm and cuddly."

"I hope so."

A few seconds of silence. "Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you...ever blame Ladybug?" She waited, holding her breath.

He shook his head. "I could never."

Marinette looked at him in confusion, realizing she'd expected a different answer. "Why not? Her cure—"

"She lost him too." Adrien chewed on his lip and looked away.

"Yeah," Marinette said quietly. Her eyes were misting up. She cleared her throat and pulled some notes out of her backpack. "Do you think you could tell me what you think of my physics project?"

* * *

 _"Miraculous Ladybug!"_

 _The city healed itself and Parisians came running up to Ladybug, cell phones recording, microphones outstretched. "Care to make a statement, Ladybug?"_

 _Ladybug smiled sunnily at everyone who approached her and signed autographs for a few children, chattering to them and making them laugh before her earrings beeped and she waved goodbye._

 _Fèlix shook his head, seeing her kindness and thinking of Adrien. They seemed made for each other. He couldn't wait until they got to meet each other, when the ring passed to his little brother. Maybe Plagg would let him tell Adrien that he had been the previous Chat Noir, and they could share their stories. Maybe Fèlix and Ladybug could reveal themselves to each other, so he could still see his friend in civilian life. Maybe he could introduce civilian Ladybug to Adrien without giving anything away, and watch them become close on both sides of the mask._

 _Maybe he would get to see his brother come back to life, and know that he helped make it happen._

 _If it happened._

* * *

Marinette dropped through her balcony door onto her bed, letting the transformation go. "Ugh," she said, flopping onto her stomach.

Tikki giggled, zipping over to hover by Marinette's face. "Something tells me the Ladyblog is blowing up right now."

"Don't, Tikki," Marinette groaned, flattening her pillow over her head. "I can't believe it came to that."

"You seemed more than willing."

"I had to defeat Dark Cupid. I did not want to kiss Chat Noir," Marinette said forcefully. "I want to gag just thinking about it."

"You could have pecked him on the lips," Tikki pointed out. "Instead you made out with him in front of a few dozen observers with recording cell phones."

"I don't like him, Tikki. Not like that"

"You could!" Tikki chirped. "He's your age, he's loyal and trustworthy, he's cute—"

"I do not like Chat Noir, Tikki! I like Adr—" She cut herself off, going rigid.

Tikki squealed. "You like Adrien?"

"No!" Marinette said, turning bright red. "No, that's not what I—"

"You do! Oh, that makes so much sense!"

"Sense?" Marinette spluttered. "It doesn't—I've never—how in the world does it make sense?"

"I knew you liked someone!"

"Yeah, but you don't seem too upset to give up on it being Chat Noir," Marinette said. She laid her head down on her pillow wearily as Tikki gushed on.

Did she like Adrien? She'd been as surprised as Tikki to hear that name tumble from her mouth.

She had been thinking about him a lot lately, but she had thought that was about his connection to Fèlix.

Adrien was cute, as Alya reminded her frequently, as well as every poster and billboard of him she passed every day.

Did she like Adrien Agreste? Could she like Adrien Agreste? She hadn't even been sure she could be friends with him until recently, given the painful reminder that he was.

Marinette sighed and sat up, rubbing her face. Tikki, sensing her mood change, stopped talking and landed on her arm, patting it with a tiny red paw.

She wished she could talk to her old Chat Noir.

* * *

If bad puns and pickup lines were what it took to make Ladybug smile, Adrien was never going to stop coming up with them.

She combed through her wet bangs, laughing. "You're horrible!"

Chat Noir felt like his cheeks were permanently stuck in a grin. The rain poured around them, and they stood close together for warmth. Ladybug momentarily lost her balance and grabbed his arm for support.

It felt great to laugh. It was even better to see Ladybug do the same, to see her happy with flushed cheeks and humor in her eyes. To catch a glimpse of the way she must have been before Fèlix died.

It felt like things were getting better.

* * *

 _Ladybug had just successfully lassoed the akuma when Fèlix arrived on the scene. "Hey, Ribbons. What's this one's deal?"_

 _"Chat! You took your time." The villain evaporated into mist, escaping Ladybug's yo-yo string and reforming a few feet away, brandishing his rapier and cackling._

 _Ladybug said a rude word under her breath. "The akuma is in his brooch, I think. Lucky Charm!" she cried, throwing up her yo-yo._

 _"I'll take care of it." With the agility of a cat, he bounded after the akuma victim._

* * *

"Did you see me do that flip?" Chat Noir said, grinning at Ladybug. "There's no way I could have pulled off a stunt like that a few weeks ago, with or without powers."

"It wasn't that impressive," Ladybug said teasingly.

"Is that why your jaw dropped?" he said. "Man. I think I might finally be a superhero."

"You don't say? After receiving the Miraculous, what, six, eight months ago?"

"Hey, this isn't an easy gig!" Chat Noir protested. "It's been hard to figure all of this out."

"At least you have someone wise and experienced to help you out," Ladybug said. "Your predecessor and I had to figure this out together."

"But that predecessor is a tough act to follow," he said. "You think I don't see all those articles and blog posts comparing us?"

Ladybug's smile slipped. "Yeah, I've seen those. Don't let them get to you. They weren't nearly so positive about Fèlix before he died." She stretched. "I've had my fair share of criticism too, over the years. It's part of the job."

"But you compare us, too," Chat Noir said softly. "I've seen you do it. You get all quiet and study my face."

Ladybug smiled sheepishly. "I guess I do. Sorry. You're just...so different, but similar at times."

 _We are brothers._ "Well," Chat said, not knowing how to phrase his question. "What do you think? Do I do the name Chat Noir justice?"

She stood on her tiptoes, gently kissing him on the cheek.

He stared at her in shock.

"Good night, Chat Noir," she said.

Then she disappeared into the night.

Adrien felt like his feet had grown into the sidewalk under his boots. He raised a gloved hand to his cheek where her lips had been seconds before.

 _Wow_.

* * *

 _The rapier was a thin silver blur on it's way to Fèlix's heart. It shimmered in the air, vapor rising off of it menacingly._

 _Fèlix brought his baton up, catching the akuma's blade on it. Ladybug perched overhead, Lucky Charm in hand, sizing up the situation._

 _The villain hissed. "You think you can best me? I have far more power than you."_

 _"We've bested every single one of Hawk Moth's little pets," Fèlix said, not bothering to hide the boredom in his voice. He deflected another blow. "You're not special."_

 _Ladybug dropped in, her yo-yo spinning in a bright wheel of red light—_

* * *

"Hey," said the voice on the other end of the line.

Marinette dragged a hand over her eyes, not opening them. "Hey?" she said groggily, making it a question.

"Ah. Sorry, I just realized how late it is. I'll let you get back to sleep. Sorry."

"Wait!" Marinette said. "Don't." She blinked a few times and held the phone out to see the caller ID. "Adrien?"

"I'm sorry! I totally lost track of time, I thought it was like nine."

"It's okay," Marinette said, sitting up. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Adrien said. "I just, uh...I wanted to talk to someone and I thought of you."

Marinette was touched. "Oh."

"But we could talk tomorrow, when the sun's up and stuff."

"No, I'm already awake. Let's talk. What's on your mind?" she asked. She felt a tinge of worry.

"I just...finished reading Harry Potter for the first time and I remembered you wearing a Slytherin scarf to school once."

She laughed from relief and surprise. "You finished reading it for the first time? Have you been living under a rock?"

"A little bit, yeah," Adrien said. She could hear the grin in his voice. "Anyway, I have a lot of questions."

"Okay, hit me."

"So, what was the deal with Snape? Was he good or bad?"

"Oh, don't get me started…"

* * *

 _Right as the akuma was poised to strike, Fèlix made eye contact with Ladybug, perched above with her Lucky Charm contraption all rigged up—a large rock suspended over them, waiting to drop on the akuma's head and daze him enough to get his brooch from him._

 _Fèlix maneuvered the akuma into about the right place and shouted, "Now!" Ladybug dropped the boulder, which fell lethargically from its rope, gaining speed as it drew near—_

 _—and missed._

 _The akuma stumbled forward in surprise, glancing behind him, his blade still held in outstretched arms—_

 _The rapier slid right through Fèlix's gut._

 _Ladybug screamed._

* * *

"Why would you do that?" Ladybug shouted.

Chat Noir raised his hands in front of him and took a few steps backward. "You were going to get hit if not me."

"You could have pulled me out of the way instead!"

"I didn't have time to think," Chat Noir said.

Ladybug's pigtails were coming loose. She combed her fingers through them in agitation. "We can't be reckless like that. It doesn't help anyone."

"I thought we were supposed to protect each other," Chat Noir said.

She bit her lip. "We protect each other, yes. But we can't needlessly throw ourselves in harm's way to save each other. You can't cure without me, and how am I supposed to keep fighting without you?"

"You've done pretty well on your own," Adrien said, meaning other battles in which Chat Noir had been incapacitated—Puppeteer with the first Chat Noir, Dark Cupid just weeks ago.

Ladybug's shoulders slumped. "I don't want to fight alone again, Chat. That was my lowest point. I almost dropped from exhaustion, doing that for so long."

"Oh! I didn't mean—"

"I don't want to fight alone, and I especially don't want to fight you….I can't lose—" Her voice broke.

Adrien's heart ached. He swallowed a lump in his throat and took her hand. "I'll be more careful, bug," he said. "I promise."

She nodded, looking at his hand cupping hers. "Okay. Thanks."

He wrapped his arms around her and she sank into him.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I wasn't really mad. Just scared."

"Don't worry about it," Chat Noir said.

"I know it all happened really fast," she said, voice muffled by his shoulder. "I probably would have done the same thing for you, if I'm honest."

"Hypocrite."

"Whatever." She hugged him tighter. "Just please don't do that again."

* * *

 _Fèlix fell to his knees, dazed._

 _A red yo-yo bashed into the akuma's head with force his partner had never dared to use before. The villain dropped to the pavement lifelessly—_

 _The pain was fuzzy, unreal._

 _Wasn't his suit supposed to make him invulnerable to physical harm? Then why the pain? Why did he feel as though his insides were vaporizing?_

 _He groped his stomach. There was no blood, no wound, no mark. The blade had passed right through him._

 _Ladybug was calling someone on her yo-yo._

 _The pain was getting duller. He realized he was lying flat on the ground. Ladybug was kneeling next to him in the dusty street._

 _He was going to die._

 _He was going to die._

 _What had he said to Adrien this morning? He couldn't recall. It was the last thing he would ever say to his brother._

 _He was dying to protect the citizens of Paris. Citizens who had never even liked him, civilian or hero._

 _It dawned on him that he wasn't even pissed about it. He was even glad that he had taken this fatal blow before a citizen had._

 _He groaned, disgusted, causing Ladybug to clutch his hand harder in worry._

 _He was noble, selfless, heroic._

 _Damn. Fu had been right about him._

* * *

"Did I hear somewhere that your birthday was coming up?" Marinette asked, hugging her sketchbook as she walked home with Adrien, Nino, and Alya.

He blushed slightly pink. "Yes, but I probably won't do anything for it. My father doesn't care much for birthday parties, or anything like that."

"What?" Nino said. "We'll have to throw you one then."

"Oh, no, please don't make—"

"Ooh, yes! My parents can make the food!" Marinette said.

"I can DJ," Nino said.

"Okay," Alya said. "Party-planning meeting tomorrow morning in the library."

"No, don't go to any trouble," Adrien said.

"Too late!" Nino said, thumping Adrien on the back. "This is what friends do, man. You're gonna have to get used to it."

* * *

 _Ladybug's lips were moving. She was saying something. She was distressed. His thoughts were too loud. Roaring. Drowning everything out._

 _I can't hear you, he tried to say. He couldn't hear his own voice. His throat was closing, his vision was blurring. He hoped he didn't sound choked up when he tried to speak again–I can't hear you._

 _She was trying not to cry, she was trying to stay calm. Her hands were shaking as she wrapped them tightly around his._

 _She was going to be alone. She was going to fight alone._

 _Unless Plagg remembered, unless the master kept his word._

 _He was leaving Adrien alone. Who else did he have? A distant father, a tutor, a "friend" in that Bourgeois girl._

 _Unless Fu kept his word._

* * *

Adrien was combing his hair in the mirror when it hit him. He put the comb down and leaned closer to the mirror, staring at himself as if an explanation was written in the tiniest pores of his face.

"I...feel better," he said. The words came out surprised. He cleared his throat. "I feel better."

He shook his head in amazement and turned to Plagg, who was still drifting in and out of sleep. "That's great, kid," the kwami said, speech slurred. Then he let out a tremendous snore.

Adrien turned back to the mirror, looking at his damp hair and tired morning eyes. "I feel better," he repeated.

"F'ntastic," Plagg mumbled.

Adrien squeezed toothpaste on his brush, pondering. He didn't know why he felt better.

He didn't feel back to normal. He missed Fèlix. He wanted his brother back.

But even so, there was a lightness in his bones that he was completely unfamiliar with. He was looking forward to the day. He was thinking of what he would say to his friends when he saw them. He was wondering if he might see Ladybug.

He frowned at his toothbrush. "Fèlix did this."

"Did what?" Plagg asked, sounding slightly more awake.

"He got me to go to public school. He got Fu to make me Chat Noir. He's the reason I have this whole life that I didn't have. I didn't even know I needed it."

"Your point?"

Adrien chewed on his lip. "Nothing. He just...knew me really well."

Plagg sighed. "He used to tell me I must have made a mistake. He thought the ring should have been yours from the beginning."

"Really?"

"I told him that Master Fu didn't make very many mistakes and there was no way it should have gone to you." Plagg chuckled. "We were both wrong. It was meant for both of you."

* * *

 _His heart was pounding with fear. How much more pain would he endure before the release? How much longer would Ladybug have to watch him suffer and die?_

 _Would Plagg keep him transformed, to protect his identity even in death? Would they put up missing person ads for Fèlix Agreste? Would the news run his photo for weeks before the truth was guessed? Would the truth be guessed at all?_

 _The akuma victim was stirring, but appeared to have been returned to normal. The cure hadn't healed Fèlix. He was too far gone._

 _The wound burned like no physical pain could. Ladybug rocked back and forth beside him. Her ribbons and pigtails were damp and limp. He could still feel the pressure of her grip on his hand, though everything else was overpowered by the pain._

 _Why hadn't they realized that someday, even all their power might not be enough to defeat dumb luck?_

* * *

"Adrien! You can't be serious!" Alya choked out through tears of laughter.

"I'm dead serious," Adrien said, looking disgruntled. "It's a true story!"

"Stop, bro," Nino said, shaking with laughter and curled on the floor in the fetal position. "I can't...breathe…"

Marinette giggled uncontrollably, her Coke spilling into her lap.

"I don't know what's so funny," Adrien protested. "Marinette, back me up here!"

"No way," Marinette said, laughing. "This is hilarious."

"So," Alya said, wiping her eyes, "let me recap. It was your first fashion show ever–"

"And I wiped out, fell off the runway, and landed in the lap of my father's most honored guest in the front row," Adrien finished. Nino and Alya dissolved into fresh peals of laughter. "Honestly, it wasn't that funny."

"But we thought you were perfect!" Alya said. "And it turns out you're even clumsier than Mari." She elbowed Marinette affectionately.

"Gee, Al, thanks," Adrien said, but he was grinning.

"You're still perfect to me, bro," Nino promised.

Marinette realized as the others continued to laugh that she was kind of happy. She frowned at her Coke as if it was the one who had just given her the revelation.

It was okay to be kind of happy, right? It was definitely better than feeling heavy and guilty and cold all the time, which she still did sometimes.

Fèlix would have wanted her to be happy. He would be glad.

Besides, she thought, smiling to see Adrien so at ease, the kind-of-happiness seemed to be contagious.

* * *

 _He tried to speak to Ladybug, but he couldn't get out the words. It was getting harder to think._

 _What? he thought she might be saying. Chat?_

 _Take care of him, Ribbons. Take care of each other, like we did._

 _Please._

* * *

Ladybug sighed and let her head fall on Chat Noir's shoulder. He looked at her, a small smile curling his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so at peace.

"You did good today," he said.

"So did you," Ladybug said.

Chat laughed softly. "You know, moments like these I'm always sure I'm about to wake up from an amazing dream."

"How's that?" Ladybug asked.

"Fighting akumas, hanging out with you, late-night patrols. I'm living through all the things I used to read on the Ladyblog," he said. "And you used to be my celebrity cr—my...idol. And now you're one of my best friends."

Ladybug smiled. "I guess I know what that's like." He looked at her quizzically, but she didn't elaborate. A few minutes passed in silence.

Chat Noir took a deep breath. "Hey, remember how you didn't want us to know each other's identities?"

Ladybug bit her lip and looked at him doubtfully. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you might be open to changing that policy someday?" he said.

"Someday?"

"Someday."

Ladybug smiled and leaned against him again, closing her eyes. "Someday sounds good," she said.

As the sun went down and the lights of the Eiffel Tower lit up, he thought he heard her humming softly.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Based on this art by kellyykao on tumblr: post/139468457582 (check out her art if you haven't already, it's amazing!)

Thanks for reading! If you want you can find me on tumblr at peggiecarter :)


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